Teenie Dog — a bluegrass squirrel hunting song
© Lannie Dietle 2026
Teenie was a little squirrel dog, just as fine as a dog could be.
She'd bark, and bark some more, and chase'm round the tree.
Them squirrels climbed up 'n hid when Pappy came along.
It's like they'd see his shotgun, and know that somethin's wrong.
Teenie dog, little Teenie dog, chase'm round the tree.
Make'm hide from you, and send'm round to me.
Pappy hunted on the shady side of his ridge top farm.
He'd walk along real slow, tryin' not to cause alarm.
Them squirrels they'd see Pappy, and start a kukkin' at him loud.
Have at'm little Teenie dog, and bring'm back around.
Pappy had a twelve-gauge, and them squirrels he liked to eat.
When that old shotgun spoke, little Teenie got a treat.
Teenie dog, little Teenie dog, chase'm round the tree.
Make'm hide from you, and send'm round to me.
I helped Pappy skin them squirrels, and what a tuggin' match we had.
I was just a youngster, but I didn't do all that bad.
Grammy's wait'n in the kitchen with her Griswold fryin' pan.
She'll fry them squirrels up when she gets'm in her hands.
Teenie dog's in the kitchen, a baskin' in the heat.
Pap and me are washin' up for the supper we're gonna eat.
They're a sizzlin' in the pan, soakin' up the bacon grease,
As Grammy sets a plate down with a little doggy treat.
Teenie dog, little Teenie dog, chase'm round the tree.
Make'm hide from you, and send'm round to me.
Oh, make'm hide from you, and send'm round to me.
Although the song is written as if it describes the events of a single day on their mountain farm, it is actually based on several different hunting and cooking-related memories. The song joins those memories together with just a pinch of artistic license to create a seamless narrative. In other words, my objective was to create an entertaining squirrel hunting song, rather than a historical documentary.
For a detailed description of helping Pappy skin squirrels when I was a small boy, see page 171 of my 2024 book "In the Land of Used to Be." That page also describes Pappy's squirrel hunting technique.
The following picture shows Teenie, Grammy, and me. In addition to being a good squirrel hunter, Teenie was also a good solo groundhog hunter, barn rat catcher, and family dog.
There is a popular traditional bluegrass piece called "Squirrel Hunter," but it is an instrumental composition, rather than a lyrics-based song.
L. Dietle
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